Call for York to take the Green Street Challenge

Thursday, 04 June 2009 18:49

phototram/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

Residents of York, UK will be given the opportunity make their street the greenest in the city in a new campaign launched on World Environment Day – Friday 5 June 2009.

The York Green Street Challenge is a joint project between the City of York Council, York Environment Partnership and SEI's office at the at the University of York.

The 15-month campaign funded by the Without Walls Partnership Local Authority Delivery Fund will be co-ordinated by SEI and will provide a comprehensive assessment of York’s carbon footprint and the city’s contribution to national carbon dioxide emissions – the key gas responsible for climate change.

The campaign will identify neighbourhoods which could do more to reduce their carbon emissions, and challenge them to take part in a city-wide competition to achieve a measurable reduction in their carbon footprint.

- We aim to raise awareness of what people can do to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage neighbourhoods and streets to form green teams to take part in a city-wide challenge to reduce their collective carbon footprint, says Green Street challenge coordinator, Dr Gary Haq of SEI York.

- We see this has a fun way to engage people on green issues while, at the same time, saving money and reducing their impact on the planet. We expect that up to ten neighbourhood teams will take part in the challenge to gain the title as the “Greenest Street in York, Haq says.

Michael Slater, Chair of the Environment Partnership stresses the imporance of collectively create a more sustainable York for the future.

- By making changes today to live a more sustainable lifestyle, we can collectively help to create a more sustainable York for everyone in the future. We hope that this campaign will make it easy and fun for residents to do their bit and help to create a green street where they live, he says.

The neighbourhoods eligible to take part in the challenge will be announced in late summer and streets in these areas will be encouraged to submit a team.

For more information, contact SEI York researcher and Green Street challenge coordinator, Dr Gary Haq.